Intensive surveys performed on state land shall be conducted
in accordance with the following specifications. The state agency with
jurisdiction may specify additional requirements and standards that meet or
exceed the following specifications. All work shall be performed under the
general supervision of individuals listed in the SHPO directory of qualified
supervisory personnel (4.10.8.11
NMAC). All fieldwork shall be performed under the direct supervision of an
archaeologist listed in the SHPO directory unless the properties recorded
consist primarily of historic structures and buildings (see
4.10.15.12
NMAC). The supervisor in the field is responsible for assessing field
conditions, altering field methods such as decreasing survey interval, making
collections or conducting limited tests, and determining when slope, vegetation
or other factors affect field conditions. Document these conditions and
specific methods used during the survey in the survey report.
A.
Survey area. Conduct a
comprehensive, systematic, pedestrian survey of the APE or project area to
identify, document and record all cultural properties including archaeological
sites, historic structures and buildings, isolates and other properties of
historic and scientific interest 50 or more years old that may be reasonably
detected from the surface or which are exposed in profiles. Record historic
structures and buildings less than 50 years old that may be eligible for the
state or national registers within 5 years of the date of the survey. Identify
and record properties that meet the requirements of national register criteria
consideration G (properties that have achieved significance within the past 50
years).
B.
Survey interval
and transect width. Transect width for surveys shall not exceed 15
meters and shall be contiguous with no uninventoried areas left between
transects. Intervals shall be reduced when surface visibility is poor. The
terrain, vegetative cover and the nature of cultural properties influence
transect width and intensity of survey coverage. For linear projects the
minimum width of the APE or project area is 15 meters.
C.
Survey velocity. The amount
of area surveyed including recording time should not exceed a rate of 30 acres
per person per eight hours of survey calculated for the survey project as a
whole and not daily. Terrain and the number and complexity of cultural
resources influence survey velocities. When survey velocities are greater than
this standard, include an explicit explanation in the survey report. HPD and
the state agency with jurisdiction will evaluate the explanation and results of
the survey and may request that the survey or portion of the survey be
reinventoried if the justification is inadequate.
D.
Items of cultural and religious
significance. If these items are encountered during a survey, they may
be recorded. The permittee shall not disturb these items in any way.
E.
Human burials. If a human
burial or unmarked burial ground is encountered during survey, notify the local
law enforcement agency pursuant to
4.10.11.8 NMAC. Do not disturb the human
burial or unmarked burial ground in any way.
F.
Survey visibility.
(1) Halt survey if falling precipitation
(rain, snow, hail or freezing rain) exceeds trace amounts for any length of
time. Do not conduct survey if fallen snow impairs ground visibility. Ground
visibility is considered impaired if more than 20 percent of total ground
surface is covered by snow.
(2) In
areas with dense, continuous vegetative cover, shovel tests, augers, probes or
small excavation tests may be necessary to identify cultural properties. The
supervisory archaeologist shall document areas with reduced visibility and, if
tests are conducted, document areas of the tests, on the project field map and
through photographs, and discuss in the survey report.
(a) Place shovel tests, augers, probes or
small excavation units in a systematic pattern at an interval not to exceed 15
meters.
(b) Shovel tests shall be
approximately 30 cm in diameter.
(c) Limited test excavation units shall be 50
cm by 50 cm in size.
(d) Shovel
tests and limited test excavation units typically should be excavated to a
minimum depth of 30 cm or to the depth of cultural materials whichever is
less.
(e) Sediments removed from
all limited test units shall be passed through a screen of no greater than
one-quarter inch (6.35mm).
G.
Alternate inventory
procedures. In some circumstances a state agency including
municipalities and counties may propose an alternate method to the standards in
this section to survey and inventory cultural properties in the APE or project
area. The proposal shall be submitted in writing to HPD and shall provide a
detailed description of the alternate methods proposed and justification. HPD
shall review and provide written comments on the proposal within 10 calendar
days of receipt. Alternate procedures require consensus between the state
agency and HPD prior to implementation.